End-closing corner-opening carton



Oct. 5, 1965 R. P. LASTER ET AL' END-CLOSING CORNER-OPENING CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May '7, 1965 FIG.3

INVENTORS Richard F? Luster Joseph L. Offenburger L020 8: Barry Attorneys Oct. 5, 1965 Filed May 7, 1963 R. P. LASTER ET AL END-CLOS ING CORNER-OPENING CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Richard Joseph Lozo INVENTORS P. Luster L. Offenburger a B0 rry Attorneys United States Patent 3,209,982 END-CLOSING CORNER-OPENING CARTON Richard P. Laster, Lake Bluff, and Joseph L. Offenburger, Waukegan, Ill., assignors to Hoerner Boxes, Inc., Keokuk, Iowa Filed May 7, 1963, Ser. No. 278,572 4 Claims. (Cl. 229- 51) This invention relates to a new and improved carton or container for carrying twelve cylindrical cans or bottles of equal dimensions and more particularly to an improved means for opening such container to remove the cans or bottles. Cans or bottles of the type contemplated herein have traditionally been packaged in six packs. Recent marketing developments indicate that a carry-out type twelve pack or half case carton is now in demand. Due to the increased number of cans or bottles in the carton, it has been necessary to use the fiberboard or corrugated type box material in order to support the weight of twelve such cans or bottles. As is well known, it is often difficult to open a fiberboard or corrugated box because of the strength of the material and the adhesives used to close the box.

The primary object of this invention is therefore to provide a carton for twelve cylindrical cans or bottles which can be easily opened by the purchaser.

A further object is to provide a carton that can be simply and easily fabricated with present manufacturing facilities.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved carton that can be readily adapted to the packaging methods of the users.

Another object is to provide a carton which can be easily carried by the purchaser.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for removing the corner of a carton.

These objects are accomplished by providing a perforation transverse to the longitudinal axis of a carton blank during the slotting and scoring process. The perforation may be located in one of the side walls or end wall of the container and extends across the full width of the container. The manufacturers joint is located in the central portion of either the end wall or side wall, depending on the location of the perforation. The manufacturers joint is closed by a carrying type handle which is glued across the joint in the assembling process. The carrying handle is provided with a longitudinally extending tear strip which overlies the manufacturers joint. The bottom closure flaps are closed and adhesively secured together and the carton is filled with the cans or bottles. The top closure flaps are then closed and the carton is ready to be carried. If the tear strip is pulled from the handle the carton will open at the manufacturers joint. The perforation in the carton is then torn so that the corner of the carton can be completely removed. The manufacturers joint and perforation can be reversed in location, the only difference being that the box is carried either on its side or on end.

It should be noted that instead of a perforation running across the entire width of the blank, a slot could be provided in the closure flaps which constitute extensions of a perforation in the wall. When the tear strip is removed from the carrying handle the manufacturers joint will be opened and the corner can be bent back at the perforation rather than tearing it from the carton and the carton re-closed if all of the cans are not removed therefrom.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a fiberboard blank scored and slotted in accordance with the present invention.

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FIG. 2 is a view of the carton folded for shipping with the carry-type handle secured to the manufacturers joint. 1 FIG. 3 is a view of the carton with the cover removed.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the carry-pack handle.

FIG. 4A is a side view of the handle.

FIG. 5 is a view of a fiberboard blank scored and slotted to be assembled into a carton for automatic loading.

FIG. 6 is a view of the modified carton collapsed for shipment.

FIG. 7 is a view of the modified carton shown in the assembled position.

Referring to the drawings, a fiberboard blank 10 is scored at 2, 4, 6 and 8 to define side walls 12 and 14 hingedly connected to end wall 16 and end wall sections 18 and 20 at each end of the blank. The end wall sections are equal in width to one-half the total width of end wall 16. Closure flaps 18a, 12a, 16a, 14a and 20a are provided at the top of the blank by slotting the blank at 22, 24, 26 and 28. Closure flaps 18b, 12b, 16b, 14b and 2% are provided at the bottom of the blank by cutting slots 32, 34, 36 and 38. A perforate line 30 shown in side wall 14 and closure fiaps 14a and 12b is pro vided in the blank during the scoring and slotting operations.

In assembling the blank for shipment, side wall 14 and end wall section 20 are folded on score line 6 onto side wall 12 and end wall 16 as seen in FIG. 2. End wall 18 is folded on score line 2 on the side wall 12 and matingly engages the edge of end wall section 20 to form the manufacturers joint 19. A tear strip type handle 40 is glued by an appropriate adhesive to the end wall sections 18 and 20 across the manufacturers joint and extends outward to the closure flaps 18a and 20a and 18b and 2%. This is the normal collapsed shipping position for the boxes.

When the box reaches the consumer, it is opened up into a rectangular shape with the bottom closure flaps on the end walls folded inwardly and the side wall bottom closure flaps folded inwardly on top of the end wall closure flaps and secured thereto as seen in FIG. 3. The top closure flaps on the end walls are then folded downwardly and the side wall closure flaps folded downwardly and secured to the end wall flaps to close the box. The filled boxes are normally stood on end with the handle on top of the box so that the purchaser can easily lift the box by the handle to carry it from the store. A carrytype handle of standard design has an adhesive strip 42 with a nylon handle 44 extending outward from the strip. A tear strip 46 is secured to the inner surface of the handle and when torn off the box will split the handle longitudinally along its center line. If this is done when the handle is secured at the manufacturers joint of a box it will be obvious that the manufacturers joint will be opened when the tear strip is removed. Once the handle is removed it is a simple matter for the purchaser of the box to tear the perforation along 30a across the side wall 30 and along 30b. The entire corner of the box can then be removed and the contents taken therefrom.

It should be apparent that the same result could be accomplished if the position of the manufacturers joint and the position of the perforation are reversed, that is, if the side wall is split to form the manufacturers joint and the tear strip handle secured thereto with the perforation being provided in the end wall. Where it is desired to leave the corner of the box attached to the container after it has been opened, the perforation can be replaced or eliminated and slots cut in enclosure member 14a and enclosure member 14b on the same axis as shown for perforation 30. When the tear strip handle is then removed from the end of the box the corner can be bent back on a line running from the end of the slot in 14a to the end of the slot in 14b. A score line may be provided in side wall 14 on the same axis to aid in making this bend if desired. Again it should be obvious that the manufacturers joint can be in the side wall and the slots in the flaps of the end wall and the corner of the carton will pivot on line in the end wall rather than the side wall. In the type of carton which has been discussed above the cylindrical containers which are to be packaged therein are placed on end on the bottom closure members and the top closure members folded over the tops of the containers. Where manufacturing techniques require that the carton be loaded by placing the containers in sideways it is cut as described below.

Fiberboard blank 50 is scored at 52, 54, 56 and 58 to form side walls 60 and 62, end wall 64 and end wall sections 66 and 68. Score lines 70 and 72 are provided along the longitudinal axis of the blank to form top closure flaps 66a, 60a, 64a, 62a and 68a separated by slots 74, 76, 78 and 80, and bottom closure flaps 66b, 60b, 64b, 62b and 68b separated by slots 74', 76', 78' and 80. A perforation 82 is shown in side wall 62 extending across the full width of the blank, including flaps 62a and 62b. The box is made up for shipment by folding side walls 62 and end wall section 68 along score line 56 onto side wall 60 and end wall 64. End wall section 66 is folded on score line 52 onto side wall so that it comes into engagement with the end of end wall section 68. A tear tape carrying handle as described above but of a longer length is secured to the end wall sections 66 and 68 to close the manufacturers joint 67.

When the box is opened for use, the bottom closure flaps 66b, 60b, 64b, 62b and 681) are folded inward and secured by any appropriate adhesive to close the bottom of the box. The box can be loaded automatically by dropping the cans in sideways with four cans laid across the bottom and three rows of cans placed in the box. The closure flaps on the top of the box are then closed or secured by an appropriate adhesive. The box is displayed by standing it on end wall 64 so that the carrying handle is on top of the box and can be easily lifted and carried away by the purchaser. The tear strip is then torn from the handle to open the manufacturers joint and the carton is torn along perforation 82 in the side wall and side wall closure flaps to remove the corner of the carton. Again it should be apparent that all of the modifications mentioned above are applicable to this type of carton, that is, that the perforation and manufacturers joint can be reversed in the side and end walls and that a hinge connection can be provided between the corner and the rest of the container rather than tearing the corner off of the carton as described.

Although a number of modifications of the invention have been shown and described it should be apparent that various changes can be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rectangular carton for holding a number of identical cylindrical containers comprising a fiberboard blank slotted and scored to define a pair of side walls,

an end wall and a pair of end wall sections, said side walls having one edge hingedly connected to the edges of said end wall and the opposite edge hingedly connected to one edge of each of said end wall sections, each end wall section having a width equal to one-half the width of said end wall, and top and bottom closure flaps hingedly connected to the top and bottom edges, respectively, of said side walls, said one end wall and said end wall sections, said blank being folded to bring the remaining edge of each of said end wall sections into mating engagement, s carrying means for securing said end wall sections together to form a rectangular open ended box, said carrying means including a tear strip section overlying said remaining edges of said end wall sections, said top and bottom closure flaps being adhesively secured together to retain said containers in said box, and end means defining a line of weakness in one of said side walls of said carton and its associated top and bottom flaps, said end means being spaced from the hinged connection of said side wall with one of-said end wall sections a distance at least equal to the width of said one of said side wall sections for aidingiin the opening of the corner of the carton between the remaining edges of said end wall sections and the end means when the tear strip is removed from the securing means. 2. A fiberboard box according to claim 1 wherein said end means comprises a perforate line extending across one side Wall and its corresponding closure flap. 3. A fiberboard box according to claim 1 wherein said end means comprises a slot in the top and bottom closure flaps extending from one edge of each closure flap to the hinged edge of each closure flap, said slots being co-axially aligned in one of said side walls. 4. A fibreboard box according to claim 3 including a score line connecting the slots in said closure fiap whereby on removal of said tear strip the corner of said box between the manufacturers joint and the score line will pivot about said score line.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 466,479 1/92 Winchester 229-7 2,006,786 7/35 Beauvisage 22952 2,290,971 7/42 King 22952 2,708,545 5/55 Seith 22951 2,895,865 7/59 Humpn'er 229-51 2,919,060 12/59 Daniels 22951 2,968,431 1/ 61 Pellaton 22951 3,014,634 12/61 Humphrey et a1 229-47 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,087,969 8/60 Germany.

FRANKLIN T, GARRETT, Prin'zary Examiner, 

1. A RECTANGULAR CARTON FOR HOLDING A NUMBER OF IDENTICAL CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS COMPRISING A FIBERBOARD BLANK SLOTTED AND SCORED TO DEFINE A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS, AN END WALL AND A PAIR OF END WALL SECTIONS, SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING ONE EDGE HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE EDGES OF SAID END WALL AND THE OPPOSITE EDGE HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO ONE EDGE OF EACH OF SAID END WALL SECTIONS, EACH END WALL SECTION HAVING A WIDTH EQUAL TO ONE-HALF THE WIDTH OF SAID END WALL, AND TOP AND BOTTOM CLOSURE FLAPS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID ONE END WALL AND SAID END WALL SECTIONS, SAID BLANK BEING FOLDED TO BRING THE REMAINING EDGE OF EACH OF SAID END WALL SECTIONS INTO MATING ENGAGEMENT, CARRYING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID END WALL SECTIONS TOGETHER TO FORM A RECTANGULAR OPEN ENDED BOX, SAID CARRYING MEANS INCLUDING A TEAR STRIP SECTION OVERLYING SAID REMAINING EDGES OF SAID END WALL SECTIONS, SAID TOP AND BOTTOM CLOSURE FLAPS BEING ADHESIVELY SECURED TOGETHER TO RETAIN SAID CONTAINERS IN SAID BOX, AND END MEANS DEFINING A LINE OF WEAKNESS IN ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID CARTON AND ITS ASSOCIATES TOP AND BOTTOM FLAPS, SAID END MEANS BEING SPACED FROM THE HINGED CONNECTION OF SAID SIDE WALL WITH ONE OF SAID END END WALL SECTIONS A DISTANCE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID ONE OF SAID SIDE WALL WALL SECTIONS FOR AIDING IN THE OPENING OF THE CORNER OF THE CARTON BETWEEN THE REMAINING EDGES OF SAID END WALL SECTIONS AND THE END MEANS WHEN THE TEAR STRIP IS REMOVED FROM THE SECURING MEANS. 